


ladder to the moon

by micksgotkicks



Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Post-Canon, basically everything you'd expect from a javid fic but with extra cheese, obligatory references to both the movie and the musical, unabashed references to the truth about the moon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-24
Updated: 2019-08-24
Packaged: 2020-09-01 06:16:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,180
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20253514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/micksgotkicks/pseuds/micksgotkicks
Summary: Jack had always lived his life at the end of a sentence, at least, until he met Davey.





	ladder to the moon

**Author's Note:**

> this is a blend of the musical and the movie verse because it really do be that way sometimes.
> 
> tw for low key mention of homophobia; nothing major, if you've read other newsies fics you'll probably be a'okay.

Jack Kelly had always lived his life at the end of a sentence. 

It wasn't something he was ashamed of, nor did he pride himself in the consistency of never being half of a pair. There wasn’t a "Jack and" whenever someone said his name. That is, not in any meaningful way. Not in a bread and butter, moon and sun, newsies and papes sort of way. Some people just didn't have a need for a constant "and" in their life. 

Jack told himself he was okay with this. In fact, he never really thought about it. He went on living, selling newspapers, dreaming of Santa Fe, whatever being a street rat of New York allowed, without any "and" to go alongside his name. 

Until, of course, Davey Jacobs came along.

It wasn't a slow progression like these things were supposed to go. It started with running and terrible first impressions and partnerships and suddenly Jack's life was filled with "ands," scattered across his very existence like the stars were scattered across the night sky. 

Just like that they became Jack and David, Davey and Jack, and once you're an "and" it's damn hard to go back.

Jack did have the newsies. They’d been his family for as long as he could remember. He was no father to them, nor did he ever want to be. He was the closest thing most of them would ever have, though, and when it came down to it, Jack would give an arm and a leg to keep those boys safe.

But Christ, _David?_ Like David and Goliath. Like David the angel. Or something like that, Jack never really had the interest or the unwitting patience to pick up the bible and give it a good read. __

_ _But Davey, oh God, would Jack do just about anything for him. He would build a ladder up to the moon and drag it down with his bare hands if it would make David happy. Davey would surely tell him that you couldn’t climb a ladder to the moon and you most definitely couldn’t take it out of the sky._ _

_ _This “and” of his had hit Jack out of nowhere, one sunny day when he’d been running, and Davey had happened to be in his way._ _

_ _Now, Jack was spending more and more of his nights alone on the roof of the boys’ home, gazing up at the moon and thinking a little too much about a certain, bright-eyed boy._ _

_ _“Hey! Cowboy!”_ _

_ _Jack lifted his head and turned to see Racetrack climbing up the ladder, a cigar hanging from between his lips. Jack jerked his head, ushering Race over to join him on the edge of the roof._ _

_ _“Is this where ya head’s been all week?” Race asked once he’d settled in next to Jack. “Staring up into the sky like you’s Davey?”_ _

_ _Jack swallowed, his mouth going dry at the mere mention of David Jacobs._ _

_ _“Do ya think Davey’s gotta problem with boys who kiss other boys?”_ _

_ _Race coughed, a puff of smoke fluttering up into the muggy air. “He’s Jewish ain’t he? Don’t those religious types usually preach ‘bout how they love alla us?” He shot Jack a sideways glance, taking another slow drag from his cigar. _ _

_ _Jack frowned. “I’d thought they usually gotta a problem wit that sorta thing.”_ _

_ _Race shook his head. “Nah, ya thinking of the Catholics.”_ _

_ _When Jack didn’t respond, Race laid a hand on his shoulder. “Davey’s not that way, Jack.”_ _

_ _Jack tensed, jerking away from Race’s grip. “Why should I care either way?” He fiddled with the loose button of his vest._ _

_ _“Why’d ya ask then?” _ _

_ _Race was giving him a knowing look, and for someone who blew what little extra money he got away on gambling, he could be pretty smart. Or maybe Jack was more obvious than he’d realized._ _

_ _He hadn’t been going with a girl in a while anyway, not since the end of the strike. A kiss with Sarah Jacobs should've meant the world to him, but Jack felt incomplete, disjointed in a way he hadn't been since before the strike began, before David Jacobs walked into his life. The celebration had come and gone though, after all there were papes to sell. _ _

_ _Race cleared his throat. “I’d better make sure the brats are down,” he said, breaking the thick silence that had nestled itself between them. “They’ll be up half the night if you don’t set a good example.”_ _

_ _Jack pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. “When’ve I ever been anything but a good example?”_ _

_ _Race snorted and Jack couldn’t help but laugh as he scrambled back down the ladder, leaving Jack alone on the rooftop again. _ _

_ _He wished Racetrack’s veiled attempt at advice on romance had helped, but Jack was feeling even worse for wear than before. Race didn’t exactly have a lot of experience with “ands” though, either._ _

_ _That night as he lay awake in his bunk, the sounds of the other boys snoring around him, Jack’s mind wandered. Even now, over a month after the strike had officially ended, he couldn't help but think about how he’d kissed the wrong Jacobs sibling._ _

_ _~_ _

_ _He consulted Katherine, gorgeous, talented, Katherine, who maybe could've been Jack's "and" if their paths had crossed a little differently. But as it was, Katherine Plumber was a console, a friend, but nothing more._ _

_ _"Love is complicated," she said to him after he’d explained his problem._ _

_ _"What’s love gotta do with it?" Jack replied, immediately going stiff._ _

_ _Katherine sighed, a sad smile spreading across her lovely face. She reached across the table to cup one of Jack's hands with hers. "Jack, you can't seriously tell me that this could be anything other than love?"_ _

_ _Jack's entire world seemed to fold in on itself. Crutchie always told him that he could be incredibly thick sometimes. If this wasn’t love, what was it?_ _

_ _“Are you going to tell him?” Katherine asked earnestly. She was so eager to help him, to help anyone, that it almost made Jack wish they had been each other’s “ands.”_ _

_ _“I can’t.”_ _

_ _Katherine gave him a pointed look._ _

_ _“It’s not that simple, Kath!” he protested, raising his shoulders and puffing out his chest, trying desperately to look surer of himself than he really felt. “What if he hates me? What if he’s disgusted by me?” _ _

_ _Jack had lived his life with one foot out the door until now. He’d dropped all his plans just because a beautiful boy liked to smile at him, a boy who was smart and kind and looked at Jack like nobody else had before. _ _

_ _“What if—what if I lose him?”_ _

_ _Jack deflated, gaze falling to the table._ _

_ _In a moment, Katherine was on her feet and pulling him into a hug. It was a comforting embrace, and Jack wondered how she had gotten so good at this. _ _

_ _They stayed that way, Jack on the verge of tears, until Katherine drew back and gave him a fierce look. “I mean this when I say, I don’t think there’s a thing in the world that could make Davey lose you.”_ _

_ _~_ _

_ _After meeting with Katherine, Jack had wandered the streets until it had gotten dark. His feet had eventually taken him to the Jacobs’ residence, and just looking up at the window to Davey’s room made his heart drop into his stomach. Before he knew what he was doing, Jack was gripping the cold metal of the fire escape and hoisting himself up._ _

_ _He peeked through the window to see Davey cross-legged and nose buried in a book. His heart did another somersault, but he tapped softly on the glass to get his attention._ _

_ _“Jack? What are you doing here?” Davey lifted the window, leaning over the sill in nothing but his night clothes. “It’s almost midnight!”_ _

_ _“You were the one wide awake, ya nose in one of them books of yours.”_ _

_ _Davey ducked his head sheepishly._ _

_ _Jack savored the soft smile and the faint pink blush of his cheeks before he spoke again. _ _

_ _“I, uh, wanted to talk to you.” Jack tried desperately not to fumble over his words. Only Davey could make him this tongue-tied._ _

_ _Davey glanced behind him, making sure Sarah and Les were still sound asleep, before climbing out to join Jack on the fire escape._ _

_ _Davey must’ve sensed his apprehension, because he immediately placed a gentle hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Are you alright?”_ _

_ _Jack couldn’t help the smile that crept onto his face. “It’s nothing important.”_ _

_ _His answer didn’t seem to satisfy Davey, however._ _

_ _“I just,” he said, still struggling for the right words. Davey always had the right words, the big, fancy words that Jack could never seem to find. “I wanna talk ‘bout something. I need, no, I _hafta_ tell you.”____

_ __ _

_ _ _ _Davey’s hand had slipped down to grip Jack’s arm now. “Jack, what’s wrong?”_ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _“We’re best friends, ya know?” Jack toyed with his bandana, tugged at his vest, anything to keep himself focused. “Not like Race and Crutchie and alla them. We’re different.” _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _Why couldn’t he say it? Why couldn’t Jack be the brave and courageous cowboy he wanted to be? What was it about David Jacobs that had rewritten all the truths he thought he’d known about himself? “You and I, we’re partners.”_ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _“Of course we are,” Davey reassured him, “We shook on it, didn’t we?”_ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _It was Jack’s turn to take Davey by the arm. _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _“I know, I know,” he said, “But it’s more than that, Dave. It’s…” He trailed off. ____

___It was too late to chicken out; Davey would get the truth out of him one way or another. It was just something else he was so brilliant at._ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _Davey’s eyes were studying his, full of that bull-headed determination Jack absolutely adored. He was tempted to kiss him, right there on the fire escape._ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _And suddenly Davey was kissing _him_. His lips were warm as he twisted his hands into Jack’s shirt, pulling him close. Jack had kissed a few girls and even a couple boys in his time, but he’d never been kissed like this. As hopelessly romantic as it sounded (and as much as Race would tease him for it), Jack felt like he was flying.___ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Jack kissed him back, lifting his fingers to drag through Davey’s hair. Davey tasted like an endless sky, or at least, what Jack always imagined tasting the sky would be like. _ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _When they finally broke apart, Davey’s face was red and Jack’s heart was threatening to beat out of his chest._ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“I’m in love with you,” Jack said, before the adrenaline could wear off._ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Davey’s face was still the color of a tomato, but he was smiling brightly, softly, in that way that had made Jack fall in love with him in the first place._ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“I was planning on saying that,” Davey said, breathlessly. _ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Jack was grinning so hard his face hurt. “What’s stopping ya?”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Davey smiled. “I’m in love with you, Jack Kelly.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _And then they were kissing again, holding each other close like they were the only two people in the all of New York. They kissed and kissed, under the faded glow of the moon. And Jack wondered what exactly he’d been so afraid of in the first place._ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _~_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Their kisses had devolved into something softer, less palpable but just as heart stopping as anything else Jack had felt when he was around Davey. _ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _They’d gathered up some of Davey’s bed sheets and were now on the roof of the Jacobs’ tenement, still practically joined at the hip. Jack looked up at the sky, the moon the only thing visible against the backdrop of the city lights. He knew it looked nothing like the sky out in Santa Fe, but it didn’t matter, not as long as he had David Jacobs by his side._ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“I know you’re a science-y guy,” Jack said, and Davey chuckled softly but made no argument otherwise. “But would ya let me build you a ladder to the moon?”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“A ladder to the moon?” Davey balked at him, but a sweet smile was still spread across his face._ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“Yeah,” Jack said, “A ladder to the moon so we can climb up it and see the whole Earth ‘round.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Davey laughed again, somehow pulling him even closer to rest his forehead on Jack’s shoulder. “I think if there was a man alive who could build a ladder all the way up into space, it would be Jack Kelly.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _“I’ll take that as a yes.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Davey looked up at him with those bright, brown eyes. “It’s always a yes for you, Jack.”_ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _They kissed again, because Jack was pretty sure there was nothing in the entire city he liked better than Davey’s mouth against his. The world around them was quiet, or at least, that’s how it felt when they were together. _ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Jack decided that he was more than willing to be "Jack and Davey," and he would build a ladder to the moon to keep them that way, but something told him he wouldn't have to._ _ _ _ _ _

_ __ _

**Author's Note:**

> i watched the newsies movie back in music class in 6th grade and it's only taken like eight years to write/publish a 2k fic so, uh, oof? 
> 
> please leave a comment i am gay and tired.


End file.
